HOUSING AFFORDABILITY THREATENS MULTICULTURAL MARRICKVILLE

A report tabled at last week’s Marrickville Council meeting has found that housing affordability remains the most critical issue facing the culturally and linguistically diverse communities of Marrickville.

Greens Councillor and Co-Chair of Marrickville Council’s Affordable Housing Committee, Clr Sylvie Ellsmore, said: “This report confirms that the newly arrived migrants and the children of low income migrant families are being squeezed out of Marrickville by a lack of low income housing.”

“This is changing the face of Marrickville, and is a threat to the multicultural diversity of our local area,” she said.

The report on the implementation of Marrickville Council’s Strengthening Marrickville’s Migrant Communities Action Plan found that Council and local services continue to offer strong support for migrant and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and that Council has met a large number of its action targets.

However, housing affordability remains a key problem. The Greens moved for the report to be urgently referred to Council’s bi-partisan Affordable Housing Committee for further action. The Committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting in late April.

“As housing costs rise and young families are forced to move further and further away from elderly parents who need their help, this has a flow-on effect for the whole community,” said Clr Ellsmore.

“Many residents bought their homes some time ago, but have very low incomes and are unable to ‘buy in’ the services and support they need to stay in those homes.

“Housing affordability is also an issue for new migrants. Council research has found that although many first generation migrants work in the area they are often unable to live here. This includes workers employed in a number of essential, but low paid services like child care.

“In the next two weeks Marrickville Council will be calling for expressions of interest to join the Affordable Housing Committee. I will be working actively to ensure representation from groups focused on housing for local culturally and linguistically diverse communities,” said Clr Ellsmore

Media contact: GreensCouncillor Sylvie Ellsmore 0403 977 213

For more information about the work of the Affordable Housing Committee email Clr Ellsmore at sellsmore@marrickville.nsw.gov.au

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The Marrickville and Petersham-Newtown Greens are the local groups for members of The Greens political party living in the Sydney suburbs of Dulwich Hill, Enmore, Lewisham, Marrickville, Newtown, Petersham, St Peters, Stanmore, Sydenham and Tempe.

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